The Phoenix Sword
by whiskeyii
Summary: My OC (who has two names, one for reality, one for different dimensions) is transported to the world of Rurouni Kenshin! My first fic, please read and review. Rated PG-13 for language mostly.
1. Areethra's Sword

Chapter 1: Areethra's Sword  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. So there! This goes for all the chapters too, so don't bug me about this! Thanks! By the way, italics in quotes ('like this') are thoughts. * Mean that this is additional information that will be shown at the bottom of the story. For example, if I choose to use Japanese words, I will put a * and translate that at the bottom of the page(s).  
  
Ashley sat in her desk staring absentmindedly at the white board, waiting for class to start. Her teacher, Mr. Rokon, walked into the classroom and clapped his hand to get the students' attention.  
"Okay, settle down and get back to your seat. Class has begun." He turned to Ashley, who was currently thinking about Rurouni Kenshin.  
"Miss. Ashley, are you with us?"  
Ashley started out of her daydream.  
"Huh?"  
The rest of the class giggled.  
Mr. Rokon sighed.  
"Please pay attention."  
Ashley nodded and focused on what her teacher was saying.  
"Miss Areethra has kindly brought us an artifact that goes along with what we have been studying lately, the history of the Japanese."  
Ashley actually liked this subject, mainly because of its connection to Rurouni Kenshin, but she had always had an interest in samurais and their ways. She had previously searched her textbook for something about the Bakumatsu*, but there was only a measly paragraph, and nothing about samurai. 'Great,' thought Ashley. 'Wonder what Areethra has now. An expensive silk kimono? Ancient samurai armor? Knowing her, it's probably another family heirloom.' Areethra was a snotty rich kid, and she knew it. She loved showing off all of her family's costly junk, especially the rare items, stuff you paid millions of dollars for.  
Areethra walked up to the middle of the room, decked out in the trendiest clothes, her brown hair in the latest style. In her hands was a rather long looking bundle wrapped up in cloth.  
"Well, I was looking around my house ('More like your mansion,' thought Ashley), trying to find something to share with the rest of the class ('Yeah, sure...'), when I came across this in the attic." Here she paused and unwrapped the bundle to reveal an authentic Japanese sword, still in it's sheath! (No one in Areethra's household would put up with anything that was fake.) "This is an Japanese sword ('Thanks for pointing out the obvious.') that was forged in the mid-1860s." She held it a bit higher for the others to admire it.  
Ashley had to admit, it was pretty cool. The hilt was black with a golden yellow disk that separated it from the blade. (A/N: Does anyone know what that disk is for?) A red stone was embedded at the other end, and a golden phoenix was embroidered along the hilt in a spiral. The sheath was also black, but it had little shapes like flames running down the middle of it (like the diamond shapes on Kenshin's sheath).  
Someone yelled out, "Can we hold it?"  
"Sure!" Areethra replied. 'Anything to gain favor and get more attention,' thought Ashley critically. The other kids lined up eagerly to touch the sword. Ashley hung in the back, reluctant to touch anything belonging to Areethra or her family. When it was her turn, Ashley held the sword and looked at it carefully. 'I wonder if it's a sakabatou* or a katana*?' She tested the weight and found it heavier than she had expected. Suddenly, Ashley was seized by an overwhelming urge to draw the sword. Respectfully, she drew the sword only halfway out of its sheath*. 'It's a sakabatou!' That was the last thought she had before she fell to the floor and blacked out. Somebody screamed. Mr. Rokon began barking out orders.  
"Areethra, inform the office of what just happened. Areethra!"  
Areethra had been in shock, but jumped at the sound of her name being yelled by Mr. Rokon.  
"Huh?" she asked dumbly.  
Mr. Rokon repeated his instructions.  
"Oh...oh, of course..." She pushed the P.A. System* button and spoke into the speaker box, relaying the incident to the assistant principal.  
"Bring the girl to the nurses' office immediately," the woman replied briskly.  
Areethra told Mr. Rokon the assistant principal's order. Mr. Rokon walked over to one of the stronger boys.  
"Help me get Ashley to the infirmary."  
The boy nodded and went over to Ashley, turned her over onto her back, and bent down to pick up her legs. Mr. Rokon began to lift Ashley's arms when Areethra cried out.  
"Wait! I want to get my sword back." She hurried to Ashley's side and tried to pry the sword from her fingers, but Ashley's grip was too tight.  
"Never mind," grunted Mr. Rokon as he hoisted Ashley's body from the floor. "You can get it back later." With that, the teacher and his assistant left the room.  
  
Yikes! I'm sorry! I forgot to add the * notes! Okay! Bakumatsu= A really big revolution that ended the days of the Tokugawa dynasty. Basically, the end result was that it led to modernizing Japan. Kimono= an outfit resembling a dress with a robe-like top. Worn in old times by Japanese women when they went out or had visitors, but nowadays, it's rarely worn, except for very formal occasions. Samurai= A Japanese warrior who wielded two swords, the longer was called a katana, and the shorter was a wakizashi. If they drew their sword fully out of it's sheath, they were bound by honor to use it. Katana= A regular Japanese sword, normally carried by samurai. Sakabatou= A Japanese sword that has the blade flipped to keep the user from ever cutting a human body using it the regular way, a.k.a. without flipping the sword over. P.A. System= In case you don't know, this is an English word. P.A. stands for Public Announcement. The system is normally used for announcements from the principal, teachers, ect. 


	2. I'm WHERE?

Chapter Two: I'm WHERE?!  
  
I'm sorry!!! I forgot one word, Rurouni= A wanderer.  
  
Okay, I think that's it. Now, onto my fic! ^-^  
  
Ashley blinked repeatedly, not believing her eyes. The instant she had seen that Areethra's sword was a sakabatou, the world changed to night, and stars came out of nowhere! Looking down at her feet, Ashley realized with a start that she was floating! But her shock of levitating passed quickly, when Ashley saw that pictures were whizzing past her! History spun by in pieces as Ashley tried to focus on them. She saw dinosaurs, cavemen, men and women of different nationalities growing up. Time and space shifted to show Asian people in kimonos, gis*, and hakamas*. One last scene swam before Ashley's eyes. Bodies littered the ground, flames ate at the buildings in the background, and a lone swordsman stood in the middle of the chaos. Then a hole opened up beneath her feet, and Ashley fell through.  
  
She landed on the ground with a loud thud. Sitting up, Ashley glanced around to see if anyone noticed her arrival. It didn't seem like anyone did. Shifting her position a bit, Ashley felt rougher-than-normal cloth rub against her skin. Looking down at herself, she realized that she was dressed in a gi and hakama! 'What the heck?! Why am I dressed like this?! Where are my other clothes?!' A sudden thought occurred to Ashley and she took a closer look at her surroundings. Sure enough, the women and young children were in kimonos, while the men were dressed like Ashley. Ashley bit her tongue hard to keep from screaming. 'These people are all look anime style! What's going on?!' A whistle and loud yells of Japanese broke her stream of thoughts. Ashley looked up to see two men in uniforms running towards her. She didn't understand a word they were saying, but one look at the uniforms told her they were policemen. That's when Ashley realized that Areethra's sword was still in her hands. 'They're after me!' she realized when Ashley recalled a law from Rurouni Kenshin that stated no civilian could carry a sword. Ashley panicked and ran, shoving people aside or dodging them when they got in her way. She glanced over her shoulder to see how far away the policemen were. BAM! Not being able to see, or avoid, those in front of her, Ashley had run straight into someone. The man she ran into yelled at her in Japanese. Ashley muttered the only Japanese word she knew, "Gomen*," glanced behind her, and started to run again. The man noticed the police chasing her and caught the girl's ponytail as she ran past him. "Hey! Lemme go!" She struggled to free herself, but her efforts were in vain. Out of the corner of her eye, Ashley saw a shorter man step forward and address the two cops. The taller man turned her around. The policemen wore angry looks and started yelling at her again. Exasperated, Ashley yelled, "DAMMIT, I CAN'T UNDERSTAND A WORD YOU'RE SAYING!! I DON'T SPEAK JAPANESE!!!" She spoke the last words slowly and heavily. The two cops looked very confused, but the man holding Ashley captive spoke. "So you don't know Japanese..." "I just told you tha--- Hey wait! You speak English?!" Ashley said in amazement. 'His voice...it sounds...familiar...' She looked up at her captor's face and nearly yelled with shock. The man was rather tall and muscular, but a little on the skinny side. He had brown hair that stood up and spiked, tied around at the base with a red bandana. His eyes were a bit small, and he had a fishbone in his mouth. His clothing had a western look to it. A white jacket with the Japanese symbol for evil stamped on the back opened in the front to show his chest, along with bandages wrapped around his ribs. His pants were also white, but they resembled capris more than pants. More bandages covered his legs and feet, and his shoes resembled slightly pointed black loafers. 'Sanosuke?! From Rurouni Kenshin?! Am I going delusional?! Ashley regained her voice. "H-How do you know English?" Sanosuke looked a bit sheepish and muttered, "Just picked it up." In a louder voice he asked, "Don't you know it's illegal to carry swords without special permission from the government?" Ashley decided to play dumb. "How could I? I only got here recently." "Then where did you get the sword?" "It was a gift from a friend," which wasn't entirely a lie, seeing as how Areethra had handed it to her. Sanosuke turned to the impatient police and, Ashley assumed, translated what she had just said. But the men still didn't look satisfied. Sano (short for Sanosuke) nudged a man next to him and muttered to him in Japanese. His friend turned to Ashley, who recognized him as Kenshin Himura, the famous hitokiri* who had fought in the Bakumatsu, and helped the Meiji Government* defeat the Tokugawa dynasty. He was rather short, only two inches taller than Ashley herself. He had darkish-red hair tied into a loose ponytail, kind violet eyes, and a big cross-shaped scar on his left cheek. He was wearing a magenta-colored gi, a white hakama, purple socks, and wooden sandals. A sakabatou hung by his side. "Where are your parents miss?" he asked smiling. "They have long since left this world, as have everyone I knew back home," true, her parents, friends, and relatives did not exist in the anime world. "Where are you from?" Kenshin asked again. "The United States of America." "You arrived recently?" Ashley nodded silently. Kenshin turned to the police and spoke. This time the two cops left, looking disgruntled, but satisfied. Both left without a backwards glance. "What did you tell them...sir?" Ashley added the 'sir' as an afterthought. "That you were a foreigner with no knowledge of Japanese laws, language, or culture. By the way, what is your name?" Ashley opened her mouth to reply, but found she couldn't say her name. She changed what she was going to say and said, "I don't have a name," at least not in this world. "Well, I guess we're gonna hafta pick one for you then," Sano said. "Fine, but pick one that suits me when you get to know me better," Ashley replied quickly. She didn't want a girly one that didn't match her personality. Sano shrugged, and Kenshin just smiled. 'I'll take that as a yes.' Do you know where I can exchange my American money for Japanese coins?" Ashley asked, pulling out forty dollars that had survived the time travel. (They had previously been in her back jean pocket.) "Yeah, follow me," Sano called as he started walking. "By the way, what are your names?" Ashley asked. "Sagara Sanosuke," Sanosuke replied. "Himura Kenshin," answered Kenshin. (A/N: In Japan, last names are said first when introducing yourself, and first names are said last.) "I'm sorry to trouble you, but the boat ride here sort of disoriented me. Where am I, and what is the date?"  
"This is Tokyo, Japan, and the date is August 10th, 1868," Kenshin  
answered. 'Japan?! I'm in Japan?! In the 1860s?! But why?' While these  
panicky thoughts buzzed in Ashley's head, she steeled herself to act  
calm on the outside.  
"Oh. Thanks," was all she said. When Ashley had exchanged her money,  
which, now in coins, was placed in a small bag, Ashley pulled the  
string around it tighter and wore the sack as a necklace, concealed  
under her gi. Kenshin and Sano seemed to be discussing something, but  
stopped when Ashley approached. Kenshin turned to her and spoke. "Since you have nowhere to stay, would you like to stay at our friend's dojo*? She already has three boarders, Sano, Yahiko, and myself, so she shouldn't mind a fourth. If you help out with the chores, of course." "No, I don't mind. But who is this 'she' you keep referring to?" Ashley asked, a bit annoyed at having to play dumb. "The owner of the Kamiya dojo, Kamiya Kaoru." "And who is Yahiko?" 'Be patient. Just play dumb. Can't let 'em know I know about Rurouni Kenshin.' "Kaoru-dono's* apprentice." "Apprentice? In what?" "You'll see when we get there." "Let's go then!" The trio set off towards the Kamiya dojo (they stopped once so Kenshin could buy some tofu) until the reached a white stonewall with a wooden gate. "Welcome to the Kamiya dojo," Kenshin announced.  
  
Okay, words. Gi= looks kind of like a robe, but a lot shorter, so it acts like a shirt. Sometimes there are two layers, and they have wide sleeves. Hakama= Kind of like a skort. When you stand still, it looks like a skirt with a wrinkled part down the middle. When you move in it, it's like pants, but the pant legs are really wide. It has slits along the sides, I think to hold in the gi, but I'm not sure, the go about to mid-thigh, but the gi covers your skin. The gi is tucked into the hakama, and a strip of cloth the same color as the hakama acts like a belt. Gomen= Japanese word for 'Sorry.' The second to last in being the least formal way of saying it. Hitokiri= Japanese word for assassin Meiji Government= The government that was established right after the Bakumatsu. Dojo= A school for studying swordsmanship Dono= Literally means 'lady.' It is added to the end of the first name as a term of respect, like miss. (which is how they say it in Rurouni Kenshin.) This is the absolute most formal way of addressing a woman. 


	3. Meet the Rurouni Kenshin Gang!

**Chapter Three: Meet the Rurouni Kenshin Gang!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin, just my OC, 'Kay? mumbles Man, I hate these disclaimers... All right, onto the story!  
(A/N: Since Ashley will now be surrounded by people who speak Japanese, I will put their words into English so the reader knows what they're saying, but Ashley still won't understand what they're saying until she learns Japanese.)  
  
** Ashley looked around at the Kamiya dojo. '_It doesn't look that bad. Not the greatest place in the world, but it's not completely run down either_.'  
"Kenshin!" A teenage girl, probably about 17 years old, with long blue-black hair and blue eyes ran up to Kenshin. She wore a cream colored gi, a dark blue hakama, and held a wooden sword in her hand. She stopped and glared at Kenshin when she saw Ashley. "And who is that?" She snapped at him.  
"A foreigner from America. She has no parents or relatives, so Sano and I thought she could stay here in the dojo, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin answered while smiling nervously.  
"Oh really? Does she have a name?" Kaoru asked sarcastically.  
"Nah, both her parents croaked before they could name her," Sano answered. "Said we could name her after we know her better."  
Kaoru eyed Ashley critically.  
"Well, I guess she can stay. Did you bring the tofu?" Kaoru's tone was mild, but she looked at Kenshin as though she was daring him to say no.  
"Yes Kaoru-dono," he answered meekly, a small sweatdrop appearing on the back of his head while he smiled.  
'_Does Kenshin always smile? Hey cool! I can see sweatdrops!_' Ashley thought, trying to amuse herself while the conversation played out before her. Sano had slipped away earlier, so she had no one to translate for her.  
"That tofu will have to last us for a while. We're broke, and I can't find any work or students to teach," Kaoru finished, eyeing the two blocks of tofu mournfully.  
"What did she say?" Ashley asked Kenshin after seeing her melancholy expression.  
"She said you can stay, but we're out of money, so the tofu will need to last, that it will," Kenshin started to walk towards the dojo, suddenly looking cheerful again. "I'll show you where you will be living."  
"Hold on," Ashley called out. She undid her pouch-necklace and handed it to Kaoru. Walking back to Kenshin, she answered his questioning look with, "Payment for boarding. Besides, I don't speak Japanese, so I couldn't buy anything with it anyway." Kenshin just nodded and kept walking.  
"Kenshin!"  
Both Ashley and Kenshin turned to see a 10-year-old boy with black spiky hair running towards them. He was about two inches shorter than Ashley, and wore a mustard-yellow gi with a two-dash pattern placed randomly on it (looks like this: In case you haven't figured it out yet, Ashley is about five feet tall). His hakama was olive colored, and he wore wooden sandals and white socks. A wooden sword was in his hand. He, like Kaoru, stopped at the sight of Ashley.  
"Who's she?" the boy asked.  
"A boarder," Kenshin answered.  
"A paying boarder?! Kaoru got really lucky this time! We just went broke! So, what's up with her? Why is she boarding here?"  
"She's an American who has no living relatives or friends."  
"Who's that?" Ashley asked.  
"Myojin Yahiko, Kaoru-dono's apprentice." Kenshin walked to the dojo and turned down a hallway, taking of his sandals before he entered. Ashley followed suit and removed her own sandals. Trailing a bit behind Kenshin, she saw him stop in front of a sliding door. Kenshin slid the door open and moved aside to let Ashley in. "This will be your room," he said while Ashley inspected it. The room was clean and simple, containing only a futon, some sheets, and a small closet. After she had looked around the room, Ashley asked, "How do you and Sano know English?"  
"I worked with some foreigners in...an earlier time," Ashley realized Kenshin was talking about the Bakumatsu. "As for Sano, I believed he learned it out of necessity, that he did. It seems that foreigners gamble a lot of money, so..." Kenshin trailed off.  
"I see. Well, thank you for telling me that," Ashley replied.  
Kenshin smiled and left.  
Ashley put her sword aside and lay down, staring up at the ceiling. She heard conversation going on outside and several cheers. '_Man! I've got to learn Japanese, and soon! Why didn't I learn Japanese on the Internet when I had the chance?!_' She sighed. '_Maybe Sano or Kenshin are still around._' Ashley got up and left her room to explore a bit. The dojo wasn't too big, and Ashley found her way around the place easily enough. She spotted Sano seated on the front step, another fish bone in his mouth.  
"Where did everyone go?" Ashley asked Sano as she approached.  
"The Akabeko. It's a restaurant. The woman who runs the place, Tai, is a friend of Kaoru's. I got left behind 'cause I got here too late. Besides, someone's got to watch the dojo, and I got nothing else to do."  
Ashley paused for a moment and then asked, "Will you teach me Japanese?"  
"Huh. You want me for a sensei? Why? You'd be better off with Kenshin for that kind of stuff." Sano answered.  
"Yeah, except that Kenshin's not here now, you are. Anyway, he seems busy enough as it is, and it doesn't look like you do much around here."  
"What are you talking about? I do plenty of stuff!" Sano cried indignantly.  
"Like what? Using your money for illegal gambling?" Ashley saw Sano's shocked expression and laughed. "Come on! You've got nothing better to do, you said so yourself."  
"All right, all right! Damn, and I thought you were a nice girl," Sano said wearily. Ashley just smiled. '_She looks exactly like Kenshin when she does that...only she's younger, a girl, and black-haired_,' Sano thought. "Okay, I'll teach you numbers first. One is..." By the time Kenshin and the others returned to the dojo (which was around 6:00), Ashley had already learned numbers up to seventy, a few of the more basic words, and the proper titles for people (such as the –dono part in Kaoru-dono). Looking up at the sound of their approach, Ashley noticed some new faces. Kenshin noticed Ashley's gaze and started to introduce the newcomers. One was a woman with dark brown eyes and long black hair that nearly reached the ground. She wore a pink kimono under a blue gi, but her gi had a smock-like pieced of clothing that was tied to the front and covered almost everything but the back and sleeves. She also wore socks and wooden sandals, but her sandals were more elevated than Kenshin's. **(A/N: T.T--(This means I'm crying by the way) Sorry! I don't know what the sandals are called. If you know, please tell me in a review. That, and any other Japanese names for clothing, and some simple words too, like 'sorry,' 'thank you,' stuff like that.)  
** "This is Takani Megumi. This," he pointed to a short elderly man, "is Dr. Genzai." Dr. Genzai was gray-haired and had a long moustache reaching the length of his short beard. He wore a light blue gi and hakama, along with a cloth cap around his head the same. Two young girls, about eight and five, walked on either side of him. "And these are his granddaughters, Ayame and Suzume." Both Ayame and Suzume shared the same brown eyes and hair, but the older one, Ayame, was taller and had her hair down, with two small braids near the front. Suzume had her hair fastened into unbraided pigtails. Both girls wore high sandals and kimonos, but Ayame's was green with a pink obi, while Suzume's was orange-red with a golden-yellow obi.  
"Who is that Uncle Ken?" asked Ayame.  
"Yeah, who's that?" echoed Suzume.  
"She's a new boarder," Kenshin answered. "She came here from America, so she can't speak any Japanese yet."  
"Well, I don't care what you guys do, but I'm going to bed," Kaoru announced. "I'm exhausted!"  
"From what?" Yahiko asked. "You've been sitting around all day!"  
"Shut up Yahiko!"  
"Make me ugly!"  
"Why you! How dare you call me ugly!"  
"Ugly hag, ugly hag!"  
"You brat! I'm gonna teach you some manners!"  
During Yahiko and Kaoru's fight, Sano stood up.  
"Come on Fox Lady. I'll walk you and the old man home," Sano told Megumi.  
"Who are you calling Fox Lady, Rooster Head?" Megumi replied coldly.  
Meanwhile, Ashley, who as of yet could still not understand a word, also stood.  
"G'night Kenshin. I'm gonna go to bed." Whether Kenshin heard her or not, she couldn't tell, since Kenshin was busy trying to stop Kaoru and Yahiko's fight. Laying down on her futon, Ashley stared upwards, reviewing the Japanese words she had learned in her head. She got to fifty-three before her eyes closed and she fell asleep.

**Wahhhh!! I almost forgot the astricks (again)! Eh he he........Yeah.................loses train of thought La la la la....Oh..eh he...oops. Ahem We will now continue with the marked Words-That-You-May-Not-Know.  
Sweatdrops: In case you know nothing of anime, a sweatdrop is a, basically, a teardrop that appears on the back of people's heads if they are nervous, intimidated, or embarressed (either for themselves, or for someone else, like if someone's acting stupid).  
Obi: A sash that is worn around the torso of girls and women. I think girls wear it around their waist, and women wear it around their chest. (If I'm wrong, it's vice versa)By the way, children can only wear pale colored kimonos, like pink, sky blue, while adults can wear vibrant colored kimonos, like red or black.  
P.S. Kenshin isn't really Ayame and Suzume's uncle. He's just a REALLY close family friend, so they call him that.  
P.P.S. When I do this it means that whatever is between the astricks is what I, or someone else, is doing. IT IS NOT A MARKED WORD-THAT-YOU-MAY-NOT-KNOW!!   
P.P.P.S. I'm going out of town for two weeks, so I may not update for a while. So loyal readers (if I have any), PLEASE be patient. Thanx!**


	4. Other Uses for a Metal Pan

**Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin, just my OC! Oh yeah, and...............I HATE DISCLAIMERS!!!!! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! DIE! Ahem. Please enjoy the rest of the fic and PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE review. Even if you do it only to point out my mistakes.  
  
(A/N: Though there seem to be a lot of s, they are there because I have friends who read this without any knowledge of anime. Also, I think I got the date wrong. I think this actually takes place during 1878, or at least around that time.)**  
  
**Chapter Four: Other Uses for a Metal Pan**  
  
Two weeks passed at the Kamiya Dojo, during which Ashley learned to operate mid-1800 appliances, ('_What I wouldn't give for 21st century plumbing and electricity!_') clean the dojo properly (after MANY mistakes), chop wood, ('_Stupid ax got stuck again!'_) and cook as badly as Kaoru, or Kamiya-san as Ashley now called her.  
"Awful. As bad as Kaoru's," Sano remarked after the first mouthful.  
"I warned you. Cooking's not for me. I'd just food-poison you to death," Ashley said coldly, a tick growing on her head.  
"Yeah, but I thought Kaoru was in a class of her own. Never thought there were two people in this world who could cook that badly." A rice bowl hit his face.  
"Why do you eat here then?" Ashley asked, holding another rice bowl in her hand. "I'm sure you can find some place to spend money on eating."  
"Sano could never do that. He uses all his money on gambling," Yahiko interjected. By now, Ashley had learned enough Japanese to carry on a simple conversation.  
"Shut up Yahiko-chan," Sano said airily. "I'll strike it rich sooner or later."  
"I'm betting on later," Yahiko muttered.  
"But until then, you'll have to put up with the dojo chefs and their cooking," Ashley said smiling.  
"I swear, you look just like Kenshin when you do that, just with black hair, and more feminine looking. You're not related to him are you?" Sano asked.  
Ashley snorted indignantly.  
"If I'm related to Kenshin, you've got antlers sprouting out of your head. Anyway, I plan to get Takani-san or Himura-san to teach me to cook better."  
"You should treat your sensei with more respect, not throw rice bowls at him," Sano said, changing the subject.  
"Well, if it comes to that, _sensei_, you should also learn to help out more. In fact, you can start by cleaning the dishes." Ashley dumped the dishes in front of Sano and ran off with Sano's yells and Yahiko's laughter fading behind her. She decided to head towards the Akabeko. If anything interesting were to happen, it would probably happen there. On her way to the restaurant, Ashley received a lot of stares from other people, but she had gotten used to it by now. After all, how many women did you see wearing what was classified as "men's clothing?" **(No, Ashley is NOT a cross dresser!)** She entered the Akabeko and smiled at a brown haired woman in an orange and brown kimono. "Good morning Tai-san!" Ashley called out. She looked at Tai's young employee, also a brown haired girl in the same uniform, who was named Tsubame. "Hello Tsubame! Any room for me here?"  
Tai answered.  
"Sure! There's a table in the back next to the kitchen. Tsubame will seat you."  
Tsubame stepped forward and said "This way," in her usual meek way.  
Glancing around, Ashley remarked, "Is it just me, or is the Akabeko really full today?"  
"Yes, it is. The Obon festival is coming up, so a lot of people are traveling to be with their family," Tsubame answered.  
"Oh yeah! I'd forgotten about that!" Ashley exclaimed.  
"Here's your table," Tsubame announced.  
"Arigato. Could I have a cup of tea please?" Ashley asked.  
Tsubame nodded and walked off.  
Ashley stared off absentmindedly and listened to the conversations around her. She caught a whiff of sake from the group in front of her and a glimpse of smiling faces from the people across from her. Ashley also noticed several sake bottles on other tables. She smiled. With the Obon festival approaching, people were bound to be drinking more then they should. Tsubame soon brought Ashley her tea. As Tsubame placed the cup on the table, Ashley realized she had no money with her. '_Oops._' She smiled sheepishly.  
"Umm....I'm sorry. I forgot that I don't have any money with me right now. Would it be possible to pay for the tea later?" she asked.  
Tai walked by and answered her.  
"I'm afraid not. I don't put things on credit for people as young as you."  
Ashley sighed and tried another approach.  
"Could I work it off by doing dishes or something?"  
Tai nodded.  
"Sure. You can start after you finish your drink. Tsubame, can you get our new dishwasher an apron please?" Tsubame nodded and scurried off. Ashley quickly drank her tea, finishing just as Tsubame returned with the apron. Ashley donned the apron and went into the kitchen. Unfortunately, due to the Obon festival's popularity, the dish pile was really high. '_Why is my luck so awful?!_' She sighed and, somewhat reluctantly, set to work. '_I need to stop hanging around with Sano so much. I'm going to turn into someone like him if I keep going at this rate._' When Ashley had gotten through about half of the dishes, she thought she heard a small crash. '_Did something break?_' she wondered. Wiping her hands on her apron, Ashley went to go look.  
Not wanting to get caught shirking, she opened the door slightly as quietly as she could. It looked as though one of the men sitting in a group had dropped his rice bowl, and was asking Tsubame to clean it up. Another man rose and went to Tai, who he began talking to. Ashley watched as the man's words had a major effect on Tai. Her normally smiling expression was replaced by a look of worry and fear, and her gaze switched to Tsubame for an instant. Tai's face soon regained its smile, though it looked forced. Meanwhile, after Tsubame had picked up the bowl pieces, the man who had dropped his bowl stood up, turned Tsubame around, whispered in her ear, and placed a knife against her back.  
Ashley could guess at what was happening. Those men were planning to rob Tai, and everyone one else was too drunk or too immersed in their conversation to notice. Silently, she slipped back into the kitchen and grabbed a big metal pan. Ashley left the kitchen and snuck up behind the man holding Tsubame. She raised the pan and brought it crashing down on his head. BANG! The man stepped back in a daze. Ashley grabbed Tsubame's wrist and led her to the door.  
"Go find help!" she ordered, pushing Tsubame outside. Ashley then turned around and whacked the man who had been talking to Tai. (By now, all of the customers had fled, either because they were too drunk to be of much help, or because they didn't want to take part in the fight.) The man wheeled around, swearing.  
"Damn! Who the hell was that?" Ashley sweatdropped. '_Let's see. There's only one person here with a metal pan in their hand, and he's asking who did it. Wow, he's really smart_,' Ashley thought sarcastically. The other men pointed to Ashley, who sweatdropped again. '_Yup, definitely the stupidest people I've ever met._' The leader (the man who had been talking to Tai) ran towards her with his fist pulled back, yelling, "You'll regret that, you dirty little wench!"  
Instinctively, Ashley raised the metal pan and shut her eyes. She felt her attacker's fist hit the pan, which caused her to lose some of her grip as she opened her eyes. Suddenly, the pan was knocked out of her hands, and Ashley found herself pinned against the wall with the group leader choking. Ashley smelled the alcohol in her assailant's breath and grimaced. She dug her nails into his wrists, but it only aggravated the man and made him grip harder. Ashley began to feel dizzy and started seeing flashes of light blotting out her vision. Desperately, Ashley tried a final tactic. She grabbed the man's wrists for support and quickly brought her knee up, hitting the man hard in the groin. He relaxed his grip and sank to the floor with a groan. Gasping for air, Ashley grabbed her fallen weapon and struggled to stand. **(You'd probably be pretty weak yourself after nearly being suffocated to death.)** The other men took out their own daggers and formed a semi-circle around her. They were about to charge when Kenshin suddenly jumped in front of Ashley and swung his sakabatou, knocking out all of the men.  
"Are you alright?" he asked.  
Ashley nodded.  
"Yeah, I'm okay. Did Tsubame..."  
"Yes, Tsubame told us about what was going on." Looking at Ashley's weapon, he smiled. "You have an interesting choice in weaponry, that you do."  
"It works well enough for me," Ashley retorted. "But what did you mean by 'us'?"  
"Kaoru-dono, Sano, and Yahiko came with me as well, that they did," Kenshin answered, stepping aside to let Ashley see.  
"Huh. Looks like we've got another violent girl on our hands." Sano remarked. "Man, I don't know if I can handle another one."  
"Me neither," Yahiko agreed, looking sideways at Kaoru.  
"Oh yeah? Well, this violent girl can still beat you to a bloody pulp!" Kaoru snapped.  
"You? No way! You're too fat!" Yahiko answered.  
Kenshin stepped forward.  
"Now, now. Let's not fight anymore," he said, trying to stop the oncoming fight.  
Ashley smiled, amused by Yahiko and Kaoru's almost constant feud. She heard a noise behind her and whirled around to see the gang leader rush at her with his knife raised. Ashley tried to sidestep the attack, but was too slow. The knife slashed at her right cheek, leaving a cut starting an inch from the edge of her eye and ending the same distance from the edge of her mouth. Ashley lifted her pan and swung it full force at the man's head, knocking him out.  
"That guy was really starting to annoy me," Ashley muttered. Looking around, she noticed, for the first time, how much damage the fight had caused. Simply put, it was a lot. A sweatdrop appeared on her head. "Umm...any way I can pay for the damages Tai-san?" she asked.  
  
**Hiya! I'm back from my vacation! For those who aren't familiar with Japanese, let me clear some things up.   
In the name Sanosuke, the 'su' part is not pronounced, making it sound like: Sah-noh-skay.   
The 'Tsu' part in Tsubame is pronounced like the English name Sue, making her name sound like: Su-bah-may.   
Okay, in Japanese the vowels are pronounced differently then the English ones.   
'A' sounds like 'ah.'   
'E' sounds like 'ay' in the word May.   
'I' sounds like 'ee.'   
'O' sounds like 'oh,' no matter what. If a name has 'oo' in it, that means you stretch out the 'oh' sound.   
'U' sounds like 'oo' in the word 'boo.'   
The 'Ao' part in Kaoru's name sounds like 'Ow!' like when you get hurt or something.   
The 'ai' part in Tai's name sounds like the English pronunciation of 'I,' but sometimes it is pronounced separately, like 'ah-ee.'   
Okay, now for the astericks. (Sorry, the QuickEdit won't let me do the star sign things, so I'm just going to list the Japanese terms.)  
San: Term of respect for older people. Kind of like Miss or Mister.   
Chan: Term used between girls or for little kids. It can also be used for someone you know well, like a best friend, but mostly only for girls.   
Sensei: Teacher   
Obon festival: A late summer festival that honors the dead while celebrating.   
Arigato: Thank you.   
Sake: Pronounced 'sah-kay.' It's a type of alcohol.  
  
PLEASE REVIEW!! Hope you like my story!**


	5. Pain, Pain, Go Away

**Disclaimer:** **Just so ya know, I'm getting bored of doing the disclaimer all by me onesy, so I'm gonna' have my crazy but good friend Si Long do it! By the way, since astericks aren't working, I'm going to use :: (double colons), and I'll make the Japanese words bold.  
Si Long: YAY!!!! I'M DOING THE DISCLAIMER!!!!!!! ::runs around:: HI MOM HI DAD HI HILLARY HI HEATHER HI JEN HI LAUREN HI CHARMAINE HI KELLY HI MARCELLA HI KRISTIN HI NICOLE HI SARAH HI......ANYONE ELSE I FORGOT!!!!!!!!   
Whiskeyii: ::anime fall::   
Si Long: By the way, you've done a BUNCH of mistakes, like here and here and here and here and... ::starts pointing out mistakes::   
Whiskey: ::grabs Si Long by the ear:: JUST. DO. THE. STUPID. DISCLAIMER!!!!   
Si Long: Owowowowowowowowowowowowowow!!!!!!!!!!! Lemme go! TT ......you're always so mean...... ::stops::   
Whiskeyii: ::angry glare::   
Si Long: Uh.........I mean......... You'reareallygreatpersonhehedon'thurtme!!! (Translation= You're a really great person he he don't hurt me!!!) Oh yeah, before I forget...again...theauthoressownsnothinginthisficexceptforherOC. (Translation=The authoress owns nothing in this fic except for her OC.) ::runs away yelling:: THE WEASEL AND THE RACOON...RED PANDA...ARE IN CAHOOTS!!!!!!! BEWARE!!!! COME MR. WUZZUMS!!!! TO THE BORROWED BATMOBILE!!!!! ...........Batman's gonna' kill me.....   
Whiskey: Nowforthestorydon'thurtme!!! (Translation=Now for the story don't hurt me!!!) Review!!! Please!  
**  
**Chapter Five: Pain, Pain, Go Away**  
  
Ashley rubbed the cut on her cheek, which was healing into a scar, and sighed. At the moment, she was washing dishes at the Akabeko (again), which was her payment for wrecking the place. She was forced to do the dishes until the Akabeko worked up enough money to pay for the damages. Which, from the look of things, was going to be a very long time. _'Well, it's not all that bad. After all, I am learning cooking tips from Tai-**senpai**. I wish that Sano would teach me how to fight though...'_ Ashley's thoughts drifted back to when she had approached Sanosuke on that subject.  
- - Flashback - -   
It was the day after the wrecking of Tai's restaurant. Ashley had finished the dishes for the day and was talking to Sano at the dojo.  
"I'm pathetic," Ashley said, sighing dejectedly. "I couldn't even beat a bunch of drunk idiots." She paused and then asked, "Will you teach me how to fight?"  
Sano looked surprised.  
"No."  
"Why not?"  
"You're a girl."  
"So?"  
"Whadda' ya' mean 'so'?"  
"Yes, I am a girl. What. Is. Your. Point?" She pronounced each word slowly and deliberately.  
"Because you are a girl, you shouldn't care about street fighting."  
"I prefer to call it martial arts. But anyway, you're saying I should just wait for some guy to rescue me every time I'm in trouble?"  
"Yes."  
"Why?" "Why do you ask so many difficult questions?! Just be satisfied with what I tell you, dammit!"  
"No! I see no good reason to depend on someone else if I can help myself!"  
"Listen, I'm not gonna' teach you. Live with it!"  
- - End Flashback - -   
_'Grrrrrrrr.........'_ By now, this memory had so enraged Ashley that it caused her to have lots of ticks on her head. She began to wash very quickly with renewed fury. _'Dang it! Why the heck did I have to get stuck in a time that treats women and girls like dirt?!'_ Tsubame walked in and noticed Ashley, plus the way she was acting. A sweatdrop appeared on her head.   
"Um, miss? Are you alright?"   
Ashley stopped suddenly. She forced a smile on her face, turned around and answered calmly.   
"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you for asking." Turning back to her work, she resumed cleaning the dishes as furiously as she had before. Another sweatdrop appeared on Tsubame's head, and she backed out very quietly from the kitchen. An hour later, Ashley had exhausted all of her energy and now cleaned with speed equal to a snail's. She finished the pile of dishes just as Tai walked in.   
"Oh good. You're done with the plates. You can go home now."   
"Arigato Tai-senpai," Ashley said, bowing. At the dojo, Ashley saw Sano waiting for her and groaned inwardly. She had forgotten about her Japanese lesson. Ashley was now learning/memorizing how to read characters and construct sentences (in case you didn't know, Japanese grammar is almost the reverse of English). She had mastered the basics, but the lessons became harder as the words got more complex. Sano rattled off a list of words and told Ashley to write them in the dirt. She proceeded to write them down, but made a mistake on the fifth word. Before she could correct it, she felt a fist slam into her head. She glared up angrily at Sano. "Ouch! What the heck was that for?!"   
"That was a punishment for your mistake. I figured I was being to soft towards you." Sano stood grinning and added, "You better learn to block or dodge it, or else you'll keep getting hit!"   
Ashley realized that he was, in his own way, trying to teach her how to fight. 'That's just like Sano. Crude, brutal, and to the point.' Aloud she asked, "So, what brought on the change of heart?"   
Sano stared at her strangely.   
"What are you talkin' about?"   
Ashley smiled and answered, "Never mind."   
It was in this "unique" **(coughbrutalcough)** way that Ashley slowly learned fighting techniques. But it was very tiring. Now she had to wash dishes at the Akabeko, memorize countless words, dodge Sano's attacks (or at least try to), and perform all of the various exercises that he assigned to her (kind of like homework). One day, during her lesson, Ashley noticed her mistake instantly. She waited for Sano to attack without tensing. Staring at the ground, she thought silently, _'Wait...wait...now!'_ Ashley rolled away, thereby dodging Sano's fist. She had been waiting for the shadow of Sano's fist to appear, and then rolled away.   
"Not bad," Sanosuke commented. "But," here he leaped forward and punched her in the stomach. "You'll have to do better than that," he finished, smirking.   
Ashley was hit repeatedly over time, but she got better at anticipating Sano's moves and dodging them. She was learning in the most effective, yet painful, way: trial-by-error. One evening, Ashley dropped onto her futon exhausted. It was raining outside, but Sano had still forced her to practice. During her lessons, which had advanced a bit, Sano would say or write something in English, which Ashley converted into Japanese. By now, Ashley was able to dodge and block most of Sano's punches, but she was having some difficulty with kicks. Sanosuke would also place her in situations where Ashley had to react to someone being behind her, charging her, choking her, etc. The sound of falling rain reminded Ashley of an old nursery rhyme. _'Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day.'_ A different set of lyrics pooped into her head and she spoke them aloud in English.   
"Pain, pain, go away. Don't come back on any day." She smiled to herself and fell asleep.  
- - - - - -   
  
Ayame and Suzume were playing with a ball in the yard where Kenshin was working. They were singing a song in English that Kenshin had heard Ashley singing. _'Pain, pain, go away. Don't come back on any day.'_ He smiled, wondering what had made her sing that song. He had an idea about it though...Kenshin saw Kaoru approaching him and stopped doing the laundry.   
"Is anything wrong Kaoru-dono?" he asked, respectful as always.   
"Not really," she answered. "I was just wondering whether you noticed anything.... different about our recent boarder."   
"She seems to be more tired than she should, that she does," Kenshin paused as he watched Ashley enter and go with Sano towards the back. "That one also looks to be gaining strength as well, that she does."   
"Gaining strength?" Kaoru said incredulously. "How? Dishes aren't _that_ hard to clean."   
Kenshin just smiled and said, "I should go prepare dinner."   
Kaoru glared murderously at Kenshin's back and thought, _'He's hiding something from me, and I'm going to find out what it is! It can't be helped if I'm naturally curious.'_ **(coughyeahrightcough) (A/N: In case you can't tell, she thinks highly of herself.)** She crept around towards the back, hearing occasional _thuds_ and _thumps_. Unseen cat ears popped onto Kaoru's head. **(A/N: In anime and manga, (Japanese black and white comics that are usually the basis for an anime) if a certain character is being sneaky or nosy, they either get cat ears attached to their head, or they act like cats, or both.)** Edging herself around the corner, Kaoru saw heard Sanosuke say something in a foreign language, to which Ashley responded in Japanese. She made a mistake in the sentence, which led to Sano crying out "Wrong!" and rushing at her. Kaoru watched as Ashley tensed herself, then repeatedly blocked and dodged Sano's attacks. Judging from Ashley's quick, flowing movements, Kaoru guessed that the pair had been doing this for a while. Suddenly, she felt a sharp yank on her ponytail. Angrily, she whirled around to face Yahiko.   
"Who are you spying on this time, **tanuki**-girl?" he asked, grinning at the chance to tease her.   
"Why do you want to know?" she retorted.   
"As my sensei, I thought you'd be above all that. But I guess that's an exception for a fat girl like you," he sneered.   
_ BANG! SMASH! THUD! CRACK!_   
Various sounds were heard and then stopped as Kaoru walked away leaving Yahiko with several bumps on his head.   
_'Hmm? What was that?'_ Ashley wondered as she paused momentarily in her sparring. Her temporary stop resulted in Ashley having her feet swept out from under her.   
"Ouch," Ashley muttered.   
"You should pay more attention," Sano said, grinning.   
"**Un, un**. Just get on with it," Ashley grumbled, getting to her feet.   
Meanwhile, Yahiko (still on the ground) was recovering from Kaoru's beating. _'Ow! Ugly as she is, Kaoru can still hit hard!'_ Turning around, he saw Sanosuke and Ashley. _'Why would Kaoru be watching these two? They're not doing anything special.'_ As Yahiko stood to leave, he heard Ashley make another error. Then he witnessed the same thing as Kaoru. _'Wow. She's good.'_ He watched for a little longer and then left, not wanting to be seen.  
  
- - - - - - - -   
  
Kaoru rounded the corner and stopped to see Kenshin smiling at her. "I found out what you were hiding from me you sneak!" Kaoru declared.   
"**Nani**?" Kenshin responded intelligently.   
"Don't play dumb with me! You knew Sano was teaching that new girl fighting techniques!"   
Kenshin sighed and gave in.   
"**Hai**, Kaoru-dono. **Sessha** knew."   
"And? Why didn't you tell me??"   
"I did no think you would believe sessha, that I did not," Kenshin replied rather meekly.   
_'He's right,'_ Kaoru admitted silently. _'After all, this is Sanosuke we're talking about.'_   
"Sessha believes that, given the chance, Sano's pupil could become a great swordswoman, that she could," Kenshin hinted slightly.   
"Hmmmm........." was all Kaoru said before heading to her room.  
  
**A/N: Well, after more than a month, I finally updated! _Yosh_! Ugh. Writer's block...again. sigh Summer's too short, plus I've got to do a summer book report. Darnit. Anyway you've been warned about the updates, so here are all those translations I know you love.   
****Anime fall= Falling when someone does something stupid. Normally landing on your face with your feet in the air.   
Senpai= A superior in work.   
Tanuki= Raccoon   
Un= Yeah   
Nani= What   
Hai= Yes   
Sessha= This unworthy one  
Yosh= Yay****  
Well, that's it for now. 'Till next time. Oh yeah, and by the way...REVIEW!! Or at least criticize. Ah yes. I also messed up on describing Sano's outfit. He wears a short hakama, but you can't tell that it's a hakama unless he takes off his jacket, which he doesn't do often. See ya! **


	6. Just Like Kenshin Or Not

**Disclaimer: A cloaked and mysterious figure: ::runs into Whiskey's room:: ::leafs around, then pulls out a disclaimer:: AHA! I HAVE FOUND IT AT LAST! NOW, TO READ IT!!  
Whiskey: ::runs into the room:: Si Long, get out of my room!  
Mysterious figure (now indentified as Si Long):NOOOOO!!!!!! FOILED AGAIN! But I shall return! ::sweeps cloak around her for dramatic effect:: ::trips and falls:: ::gets up, cloak still around her runs into a wall:: Ouch! Stupid eye-covering mask! ::runs out door::  
Whiskey: ::calms down and does disclaimer:: Sorry for the delay people! I was really busy (coughlazycough), but I've finally found/made time to update. So, enjoy! Oh, and I don't own anything but my OC! By the way, since the astericks _still_ aren't working, I'm still using double colons for actions, and bold words are either part of the 'Author's Note' or are Japanese words I will define at the bottom. One more thing: I'm sorry about the paragraphing thing; QuickEdit won't let me use tabs.**

**Chapter Six: Just Like Kenshin…Or Not…**

Ashley was walking back to the dojo, feeling less tired than before. Her body seemed to be getting used to the almost continuous work. Her body had gained some strength as well as endurance, but Ashley herself hadn't realized this yet. She still felt like her normal self, and anytime Ashley lasted particularly long against Sano in a spar, she blamed it on luck. When Ashley got through the dojo gate, she was surprised to see Kaoru waiting for her.  
"I've decided," Kaoru announced, "to teach you the Kamiya Kasshin **Ryu**, if you'd care to learn it."  
"Hai! I want to learn!" Ashley answered enthusiastically.  
Smiling at her enthusiasm, Kaoru said, "Then follow me," and walked into the training part of the dojo. Ashley went inside and sat across from Kaoru. "Before we begin, I want to explain the two major rules of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. The first, is that the sword style founded by my father does not allow the use of metal swords. The only swords you may use must be made of wood. Got that?" Ashley nodded. "Alright. The second rule is the most important. You must only use the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu to _protect_ those weaker than you, along with those you care for. If you use it for _any_ other reason, or if you use a metal sword, and I find out, I will expel you from this school."  
"I understand, Kamiya-sensei," Ashley answered solemnly.  
"Good. Now," Kaoru tossed Ashley a **shinai**, which she caught out of reflex, "Let's start your training. The first thing you need to learn is the basic stance. Stand up straight and face me. Place your feet apart so the align with your hips and knees. Now, put your right foot in front. More. Still more. There, that's right. Keep your heel slightly above the ground. Straighten your knees, but don't lock them. Always align your mid-line with your opponent's. Good. Now I'll teach you how to hold the shinai. Put your left hand at the base of the handle. Your pinky and ring finger grip the tightest, the middle finger moderately, and the index and thumb grip the lightest. The web of skin between the index and the thumb never touches the handle. The right hand is just below the **tsuba**, but the gripping finger strength is the same as the left hand. The left hand will be used mostly for power, while the right hand is for direction. When you swing downwards, extend your wrists and elbows. Tighten your grip right before contact. Step forward a bit, but always return to the basic stance. Oh, and don't forget to yell. Got all that?" Kaoru finished.  
"I…think so…" Ashley answered, her head spinning with all of the information. '_I'm so glad I looked up **kendo** on the 'Net before I fell into this world!'  
_"Good. Now do one-hundred and fifty practice swings," Kaoru ordered.  
"One…One-hundred and fifty?!" _'She must be joking!_' Ashley thought.  
"Mmm-hmm," Kaoru nodded.  
Ashley stared at Kaoru for a bit, then sighed and started swinging.

------One hour later------

"Uhhh……..owwww……so much pain…." Ashley groaned. After swinging practice, Kaoru had forced Ashley to multiple push-ups, sit-ups, and the like, along with having to hit her own arms and legs to build up calcium in her bones **(A/N: This really works!!)** and finishing with _more_ swinging practice. On top of all that, she still had her lesson with Sano. '_Maybe I can sneak around without him seeing me,_' Ashley thought hopefully. Turning around, she promptly walked straight into the one person she was trying to avoid. '_Why? Why me?? What have I done to deserve this?!_' Ashley mentally asked herself miserably.  
"Hey there!" Sano greeted Ashley with a grin.  
"Hey yourself," Ashley muttered.  
"What's the matter with you?" Sanosuke asked. "You're never _happy_ to see me, but you ain't _this_ depressed either."  
Ashley paused, considering whether or not she should tell her sensei about Kaoru's treatment, but she decided against it, feeling that she would sound like a whining two-year-old. So, Ashley just shook her head.  
"Never mind, it doesn't matter," she replied. "Anyway, are you just gonna' stand there, or are will you start teaching?"  
"Hey missy, that sounded like a challenge," Sano remarked. Before Ashley could protest, he continued. "Yeah, that definitely sounded like a challenge to me. So, ya gonna' just stand there moping, or are ya gonna' fight?"  
Ashley turned to face him. '_I never _could_ refuse a challenge…_'  
"Off course I'll fight! I'm not gonna' back down just because you're my sensei!" she said, tensing for a fight.

------------After the fight-------------

Ashley's mind was divided. One half of her brain was saying something along the lines of '_ASHLEY YOU IDIOT!!!_' while the other half was cheering her on for her semi-victory. She hadn't _actually_ won, but her spar had lasted longer than any of her previous bouts, even if the cost was a few more bruises, along with more soreness. '_Ugh. Is everyone trying to kill me today?_' she thought wearily.  
"Hey!" Yahiko called to Ashley. "Kenshin wants some help in the kitchen!"  
'_Yes, they are,_' Ashley answered herself mentally. "Okay, I'll be right there," she called back. In the kitchen, she found Kenshin, preparing the next meal. "You wanted help?" she asked.  
"Hai. The dishes were not cleaned last night, so…" he drifted off.  
"You thought I could do them for you," Ashley finished.  
"Hai."  
"Then I shall put my dishwashing expertise to work," she answered jokingly.  
Kenshin just smiled and laughed softly. Reverting to English, he asked, "Was your day tiring?"  
Ashley thought for a moment then answered, "Not as much as tomorrow will be."  
"Why do you say that?"  
"Because by tomorrow, I'll still be sore from today, making my work harder."  
Kenshin smiled.  
"You are a clever girl miss, that you are."  
"Thank you. But cleverness won't wash dishes," Ashley replied, and proceeded to clean. Later that night, after everyone had gone to bed, she found that she couldn't sleep. Sighing, she picked up her shinai and walked out to the front porch. Ashley looked up at the sky, which, through watching, had settled her insomnia several times before. But tonight she wanted to try a different tactic. Ashley held her shinai in the basic stance. Closing her eyes, she went over the day's kendo lesson. Opening her eyes, Ashley repeated the entire lesson, exercises included. When she had finished, her insomnia had vanished, replaced by exhaustion. Ashley crept back into her room soundlessly, falling asleep the instant her body hit the futon.  
Morning came too quickly for Ashley, but she felt fully refreshed after dunking her head in ice water, and, surprisingly, her body was only a little bit sore. She set off to the Akabeko for another day of dishwashing. '_If I ever get back home, I'll make an excellent dishwasher for any restaurant._' Many of these modern-day terms and thoughts Ashley was careful to never say aloud. She didn't want to run the risk of messing up anything for the future, even if it was in another dimension. When Ashley returned back to the dojo, Kaoru greeted her and began her lesson. After swinging and stretching, Kaoru began to teach her new pupil the three basic classes of footwork: Okuri-ashi (gliding footwork), Ayumi-ashi (stepping footwork), and Hikari-ashi (sidestepping footwork). Once Ashley got the hang of the movements, Kaoru made an announcement.  
"Today, I'm going to have you spar against me. You're nearly my height, so that shouldn't be a problem."  
Ashley froze and gawked at her sensei.  
"What?! Why?! I just started learning!!" Ashley protested.  
"True," Kaoru admitted. "But if you use what you already know against a real opponent, instead of an imaginary one, you'll learn and improve a lot quicker." She stuck her head out of the door and yelled. "Yahiko! Get in here!"  
"What do you want ugly?" Yahiko asked.  
Kaoru bristled but managed to work down her temper.  
"I want you to be a referee for my sparring match."  
"Who are you gonna' spar? Kenshin?" Yahiko asked.  
"No, I'm going to spar against her," Kaoru pointed to Ashley, who at the moment was trying very hard to mask her nervousness by displaying an emotionless face.  
"Her?!" Yahiko cried.  
"Yes, her," Kaoru replied calmly.  
Yahiko grinned widely.  
"I'm gonna' enjoy this!" he exclaimed.  
"Why's that?" Kaoru asked.  
"Cause she's gonna' lose, and it's fun to watch you beat someone else in kendo for a change," Yahiko replied smirking.  
"I'm standing right here **baka**, and I can hear you perfectly too, so watch your mouth!" Ashley snapped at him.  
"Make me!" Yahiko retorted.  
"Gladly!" Ashley replied.  
Flames encircled the two as they glared fiercely at each other.**(A/N:In manga and anime, flames aroundtwo peopleshowsthat they hateeach other, normally during an arguement. It can also show that the two, or more, people are extremely angry. And then you've got the occasional case of _real_ flames behind that person, like in the case of burning stuff or superpowers, for a lack of a better word.)**  
"Alright you two, knock it off and take your positions," Kaoru intervened.  
"Positions?" Ashley asked, puzzled.  
"That's right, you've never seen a kendo match before have you?" Kaoru asked as Ashley shook her head. "I guess they don't know much about kendo in the west. Anyway, here are the basic rules of a kendo match: The referee does, basically, decide everything. The basic valid strike areas include the forehead, the left and right areas above the temple, the screen covering your opponents face (but only when their head is tilted back), the forearms, the left and right sides of the torso, and the throat. Don't step outside of the set boundaries. At the start, step into the court, place yourself about nine steps away from your opponent, bow, move forward three steps, then squat with your knees pointed outwards and draw your shinai at the same time. Get into the ready position (that's the basic one) and wait until the command to start has been given. You need to win two out of three rounds to win the match. Did you get all that?" Kaoru asked.  
'_This is making my head spin again…_' Ashley thought. "**Ano**…I think so…" she replied.  
"Good. Those," Kaoru pointed, "are the boundaries. Try to remember what I just told you. Oh, before I forget, this dojo doesn't have enough equipment for a full set of **bogu** for more than one person, so you'll have to do without it."  
Ashley nodded mutely thinking, '_Well, it can't hurt more than Sano's attacks._' She stepped into the court, bowed, moved forward, squatted, drew her shinai, and waited.  
"Start!" Yahiko yelled.  
Being a beginner, Ashley didn't know much of kendo, and relied on hours of watching Rurouni Kenshin fights and her instincts to block and attack. Kaoru yelled out corrections every now and then, which really didn't help too much, since Ashley lost the first two rounds anyway, no matter how much she learned.  
"Match over!" Yahiko announced.  
"Hold on a minute Yahiko," Kaoru called out. "I want to have one more round. That way, I can see how much you've improved during this match," Kaoru said to Ashley.  
"Okay," Ashley agreed. '_One more can't hurt._'  
"I won't help you this time, so you're on your own," Kaoru told her.  
Ashley nodded and readied herself for a beating.  
"Begin!" Yahiko cried.  
Kaoru attacked first, lunging forward. Ashley quickly sidestepped, noticing Kaoru's foot pivoting as she did so. An idea hit her, and Ashley ducked as low as she could, flinching slightly as she felt Kaoru's shinai pass closely over her head. Ashley quickly propelled herself upwards using her legs and caught Kaoru in the throat, just before receiving a blow to her ribs from the side.  
"Valid **tsuki** strike!" Yahiko declared. "Round over!"  
"Are you…alright…sensei?" Ashley forced out. She was having difficulty breathing; Kaoru's hit was powerful, and it left her partially winded.  
"Yeah," Kaoru was coughing. "That was pretty good, but," Kaoru paused to cough, "You forgot to yell."  
Ashley just smiled and laughed softly. '_I get one good hit in, and I forget a basic rule. I guess being in a different dimension doesn't get rid of my same old flaws…_'

* * *

Time passed, and Ashley grew restless. She had been in Kenshin's world for over a month, she still hadn't touched her sword, and she still had no idea what she was doing there. She was not, by any means, bored. Either she was training **(A/N: coughsufferingcough)** at the hands of Sanosuke and Kaoru, helping Kenshin with chores, or running errands for Kaoru (her debt at the Akabeko had _finally_ been paid). Not that these things had no use. Ashley had become a better fighter than most, though she was sadly lacking in defensive martial arts moves** (A/N: In both the manga and the anime, Sano _never_ uses any really defensive moves)**, and she was quickly improving her kendo skills, which, by now, weren't too shabby. Helping Kenshin (mostly in the kitchen) improved her cooking skills vastly, and shopping errands were chances to learn more about the Japanese culture.  
"Hey there," Sano called out to her. "Kaoru wants you to buy—''  
"**Miso**, salt, rice, soy sauce, and vinegar," Ashley finished. '_Kaoru _always_ buys the same stuff._' **(A/N: She really does!)** "Right, I'll get it." Ashley stood, her shinai bumping against her leg. She had developed the habit of wearing it like how Kenshin wore his sakabatou; tucked into the belt-like part of her hakama, on her left side. Looking into another little pouch-necklace she had made, Ashley counted the money she had earned doing other errands for various people. She had just enough to buy the food, so she started walking. After buying salt, vinegar, rice, and soy sauce, Ashley went hunting for some miso. A crowd forming in front of a notice caught her attention, and she went to read it. Struggling with balancing her purchases, Ashley managed to push her way to the front. The notice turned out to be a WANTED ad. "Wanted," she read aloud. "The infamous female criminal, the **Nekoyasha**, for various crimes. Description: 5 foot, 7 inches, slight build, black-haired, often worn loose. Adept at fighting. Treat with caution." **(A/N: In Japan, they didn't use feet, inches, centimeters, etc. But to make this easier for everyone to understand, I'm using the universal metric system! Or, at least I _think_ it's universal…I'm not sure…)** '_Hmm…Not much of a description, but I guess pictures were still really expensive during this time_.' Ashley tried conjuring up a mental image, but failed. She sighed, shook her head, and went to buy miso. Unfortunately, due partly to bad luck and partly to her own dallying, Ashley ended up trying to buy miso from the greediest shop keeper there, who was also the only one selling miso of adequate quality. "What?! That's outrageous! Miso's not worth _half_ of that price!" Ashley yelled at him.  
The man merely shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.  
"I'm sorry miss, but that's as far as I can lower it. Man's gotta' eat you know," he replied smoothly.  
'_So do five people in a dojo,_' Ashley thought, gritting her teeth. Reaching into her pouch, she took out about half of what she had left and forced a smile on her face.  
"So, you wouldn't take this much?" she asked, watching his eyes light up at the sight of money.  
Coughing a bit, he replied, "No, sorry. I can't accept that."  
"I see…" Ashley pretended to put away her money, then stopped, shifting the coins around so the flashed in the sunlight. She leaned towards him and smiled sweetly. "Your miso must be really good if you charge such a price."  
"Yes miss. It's very good," he answered, relaxing a lot as he talked about a less frustrating subject than haggling.  
"The best quality available I bet."  
"Hmm…must stink not having many customers."  
"Yes, well…HEY! That's none of your business!!" the stall owner yelled.  
Ashley pretended to not have heard and turned around, muttering, "I bet one of those _other_ miso sellers wouldn't mind a few more coins." She tossed the coins lightly into the air.  
The stall keeper was silent. Then he said, "Miss? I've changed my mind. I'll accept your offer."  
"Really? Thank you! That's wonderful!" Ashley replied, turning around and smiling.  
The man handed her the miso, and Ashley gave him her money.  
"Thank you!" she said, and left, fighting to keep from laughing. She walked back to the dojo, humming a little tune. Suddenly, Ashley stopped. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something _felt_ wrong. Feeling uneasy, Ashley turned around, but there was no one behind her. Shrugging, she started to turn around again, but paused when she saw someone in a tree.  
"Well done. You have good instincts, but you're disguise cannot fool me. Now, prepare yourself for death…" the person jumped down. "Himura Kenshin, ex-**hitokiri**!"

**I'm REALLY sorry for procrastinating!!! I bet that by now, most of my readers have given up on this story, which means I'm back to having my readers consist of mainly friends…Oh well. That's what I get for being lazy, eh? Oh, by the way, I'd just like to mention that all of the things involving kendo (the rules, handholds, postures, etc.) are the actual way that you would do them. It took me forever to track down this info but…I finally got it! I'm so proud of myself!! I'll try to update more often now, but I can't guarantee anything, since I'll be out of town from Dec. 19-Dec. 26, or sometime around that date. I'll also be with relatives, so the chance of accessing a computer for a long enough time to type a new chapter isn't all that great. But anyway, Happy Holidays! Here are the new words:  
Ryu: When used after 'Kamiya Kasshin' it means 'style,' but it can also mean 'dragon.'  
Kendo: art of learning to fight with swords.  
Shinai: a wooden sword used in kendo.  
Tsuba: the hand guard on the shinai.  
Baka: fool  
Ano: umm…(seriously, that's what it means)  
Bogu: kendo armor  
Tsuki: throat  
Nekoyasha: This is actually a combination of words. 'Neko' means cat, and 'Yasha' means female demon. So, 'Nekoyasha' means 'female cat demon.' However, most words in Japanese can't be strung together like this; I just made this word up for the purpose of the story. For example, take the words 'hi' (fire) and 'tori' (bird). Strung together they form hitori, which means one person, or an unmarried person.  
Miso: food paste made of mainly soybeans, salt, and (usually) fermented grain like barley or rice. It is high in protein and its flavor can range from salty to sweet.  
Hitokiri: assassin**


	7. Notice

Dear Readers,

As much as I'd like to beat around the bush and be nice about this, I'm going to just be blunt: this story is hereby discontinued. Do not expect any updates, sequels, or what have you. Why, you ask? Simply put, this story was, as I stated in the summary, my first fanfiction. As of today, January 8, 2010, that story was written SIX YEARS AGO. So it sucks, at least by my standards. However, this story will be kept up as a reminder to myself of both what not to do and as a representation of how much I've grown. I do heavily apologize to those of you who have followed this story thus far (especially you newcomers). But having finished the RK manga, I feel there is no need for a fanfiction that screws up the canon story so drastically.

I can only hope that some of you will continue to read through whatever stories I may publish in the future (ideally an upcoming Kingdom Hearts fic), and that those stories will be of much higher quality and far more entertaining. Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Whiskeyii


End file.
